Orange Is the New Black Submitting as Drama, Not Comedy, for Golden Globes, Emmy Races

Apparently so, now that Netflix has scrapped its original plan to enter the buzzy freshman prison series in the comedy categories for next year’s Emmy and Golden Globes award races, instead choosing to have it compete in the arguably deeper drama division, sources tell TVLine.

The streaming service’s change of heart about how to position Orange Is the New Black for awards consideration seems slightly peculiar — if for no other reason than the fact that the show will now go head-to-head against Netflix’s other critical darling, House of Cards.

What’s more, Orange‘s deep and highly regarded bench of female cast members will arguably face an uphill battle for acting nods against supporting drama shoo-ins like Breaking Bad‘s Anna Gunn, The Good Wife‘s Christine Baranski and Game of Thrones‘ Emilia Clarke. And don’t even get us started on the brutal competition Taylor Schilling will face in the Lead Actress race, which last year featured seven nominees — Connie Britton, Claire Danes, Michelle Dockery, Vera Farmiga, Elisabeth Moss, Kerry Washington and Robin Wright — with at least a half dozen insane snubs.

The corresponding comedy races, meanwhile, should be lighter, thanks to perennial nominees like Tina Fey, Jane Krakowski and Laura Dern being no longer eligible in 2014.

What do you think of Netflix’s decision to label Orange as an awards-season drama? Take our poll below, then sound off in the comments!

THIS! It’s one thing when hour long dramedies are in the comedy category, it’s another thing with the actors and actresses from those shows are in the comedy categories. They clearly end up having a leg up because of their emotional and showier performances. Amy Poehler is the funniest woman on TV, and she’s been beat out in the past by Edie Falco, a fantastic actress, but its not a comedic performance! It’s infuriating.

If OITNB is a comedy, it’s the darkest most depressing comedy I’ve ever seen. It has funny moments but what drama series doesn’t?! I LOVE the show but I totally agree with Netflix, it’s a drama. not a comedy.

I didnt even know it was possible to submit it as a comedy? Not saying the show isnt funny as I love it but Ive always viewed it as a drama and went this whole time thinking it would be submitted as one anyways lol

I still like Taylor Schilling to win Lead Actress, regardless of the show’s designation. The bloom seems to be off the rose with Homeland, so a three-peat feels less likely for Claire Danes. Kerry Washington is great, but it’s probably going to take something more prestigious than Scandal for her to win.

Scandal is arguably the most buzzed-about network drama in years and has been consistently successful from day one. It’s absolutely as deserving as the Good Wife is, as far as network dramas are concerned. Not saying Washington should be the winner, but I don’t think there would be backlash if she were nominated. I don’t know how cable got to be so highbrow – so what if they can curse and show booby and more violence – but it seems like too many network shows, with their great viewership and commercial value, are pushed to the corners because they’re not as provocative as cable shows are.

I know this is horribly cliché but this is one case where I truly believe it would be an honor just to be nominated. Don’t get me wrong, the show is fantastic and all of those ladies deserve an award. However, I think it is far more likely that they will be overshadowed by the bigger name actors and the shows that are getting all the buzz. Academy voters are notorious for sticking with the same old nominations year after year. So if the show itself or any of the ladies get their name on a list with the “popular” kids….I’d say that’s a big win right there.

I don’t understand why Netflix made this move. Regardless of what side of the middle line between comedy and drama OITNB leans towards, the Emmy for Comedy is soooo riped for the picking. People are tired of ‘Modern Family’ and is looking for someone new and fresh to take over while on the drama side next year, you’ve got the last seasons of still hot ‘Mad Men’ and ‘Breaking Bad’ to contend with. It’d only do as well as ‘House of Cards’ did this year.

The Emmy’s need an overhaul. Not only should they have actor, actress, supporting actor, supporting actress, and outstanding dramedy categories (as dramedies are becoming increasingly popular, and more complicated to distinguish as either drama or comedy), but they also need to add separate acting and outstanding show categories for network and cable programming. Cable has excellent shows. Network TV has some excellent shows. But to throw, for example, Josh Charles in the same category as Bryan Cranston is utterly impossible. They’re both great, but what Bryan (and cable in general) can get away with makes it so much harder for network shows to compete. If creating these categories means moving the mini-series categories and some of the behind-the-scenes categories to the Creative Arts Emmy broadcast, then so be it. If the Emmy’s can create several Reality-show categories, then they create dramedy categories and separate cable/network categories.

i suppose it is a drama at its core. going to prison isn’t funny. the people inside can be funny, but they’ve done bad things on whatever level and are paying the consequences. i’m not making a statement about the justice system, i’m just saying it’s not an inherently funny premise. so i guess i get it. and there are PLENTY of dramatic moments. dont even get me started on when crazy eyes asks why everyone calls her crazy eyes. broke my heart into a million pieces.

well, there goes its chances at getting nominated for anything. bad move, Netflix. if Nurse Jackie is a comedy then this is too. it’s certainly funnier than anything Girls has ever done. compare this show to shows like homeland, mad men, breaking bad, game of thrones, boardwalk empire- is it fair to make this show compete with those dramas? no, I don’t think so.

An hour ago, I actually described this show to someone as hilarious/heartbreaking/horrifying. I would never classify it as a comedy. But awards programs are already weirdly exclusionary and biased, and it’s time to stop dividing everything into two measly categories.

As for the acting nominations – frankly for me this show is all about the supporting cast and Taylor Schilling is really just the girl with the most screen time. She’s not even the best actress on her show, let alone in her category – I’m a black actress and I think I’m pretty talented, but even patting myself on the back I don’t think I could do a better job than the actresses playing Taystee, Poussey, or Janae. Maybe Janae. :) I personally don’t believe Schilling is worthy of a best actress nomination – then again it’s relative perception, I don’t think Emilia Clarke, Michelle Dockery or Elisabeth Moss are worthy best actress nominees, while I respect that people may disagree with me.

Other than the chicken episode this show seems, at least to me, to be a drama. Sure it started off as a bit more light, but when the first episode ends with a bloody tampon on a sandwich and the last episode ends with the main character brutally beating someone to a possible death I would definitely qualify it as a drama. I never even considered the show a comedy.

I was re-watching some episodes last night and I was coincidentally thinking about the awards season and I guess they can look at the bits they want to submit and see what it would work better as. Like the solitary scene with Piper when she is pleading just to get out, that would be a perfect submission for her but it lands in the drama zone. they really should have a “dramedy category”

You make a good point. It’s possible they chose to put the show in the drama category because they thought their actresses would have a better chance getting nominations for their dramatic work. Seriously, if I was going to submit a scene to try and win an award i would most likely submit something really dramatic over something funny. This could be a case of Netflix sacrificing the show for the good of the actresses.

They’ve made a huge mistake. Drama is just way too competitive. Though this does make me wonder…does it pave the way for Arrested Development nominations, particularly with the Golden Globes? Was part of this decision made to give AD a leg up? AD did just get a producer’s guild nomination, so that’s awesome.
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I went into OITNB being told it was a comedy, and expecting a comedy. So that’s what I got. I had laugh out loud moments from just about every episode. Plus something about the way it’s filmed just makes it look like a comedy to me. The saturated colors, perhaps? The bright lighting? Dramas have a way more muted look and are often grittier.
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I just can’t get into the dramady argument, because it almost seems like every show nowadays would fit into that description. Seriously. Everything. Everything is a dramady! Plus, if they had three categories, could you imagine how long that would extend the award ceremonies? TV viewers would never be able to sit through it.